Type-writing machine.



W. W. HOPKINS.

TYPE WRETING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 5, 1907.

atented Dec. 27, 1910.

/N ViN TOR HOPKINS WILL/ 1 W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. Y

WILLIAM W. HOPKINS, OF ST. LOUIS,

MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T MOON-HOPKINS BILLING MACHINE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS. MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

TYPE-\VRITING LIAGHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM \V. Hor- KINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at. St. Louis. Missouri, have invented a cerk ll tain new and useful Improvement in Type- .VV 'iting Machines, of which the following is a full, clear,.a-nd exact descri1' tion, such as will enable others skilled'in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. reference being had to the accompanying draw ings, forming part of this specification, in

whichv Figure 1 is a top plan view of the carriage of a typewriting machine provided with mechanism embodying ,the features of my invention, Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are detail views illustrating the different positions of the mechanism for; moving the copy sheet rearwardly over the platen.

This invention relates to typewritiug machines, and particularly to the carriages of such machines.

When typewriting machines are used for making out bills it is customary to use a copy-sheet or I record-sheet of sutlicient length to contain several bills. The bill heads, or sheets of paper upon which the items of the bill are \vritten, are usually provided at their upper end or top with a printed heading containing the name of the company which sends out the bill and also the class of meztcoandise that the company handles and as' this printed heading occupies a great deal of space it is the usual practice to move the copy-sheet rearwardly' after each bill has been written so that the portion of the copy-sheet on which the impression of the type has been made will be arranged underneath the printed heading (if the next bill-head that is placed in the machine, thereby causing the carbon impressions of the several bills to be arranged close Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 5, 1907.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

Serial No. 387,210.

copy-sheet out of vertical alinement so that it will not feed straight. due to the fact that the copy-sheet is only clamped on one edge. Furthermore, the mechanisms that the machines were provided with for positioning the. copy-sheet were cumbersome and comprised a great many parts and also necessitated a wide margin at each edge of the copy-sheet.

The main object of my invention is to provide a typewriting machine provided with asimple formof mechanism for moving the copy-sheet rearwardly without rotating theplaten, said mechanism being so constructed that the'only thing the operator has to do to arrange the copy sheet in position for the next bill is to actuate a lever which causes the copy-sheet to move rearwardly over the platen. Said mechanism also firmly clamps the copy-sheet across its entire width so that 1t is impossible'for said sheet to shift and thus get out of vertical alinement.

Other desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A

designates the platen and B the frameoir which the laterally movable carriage of the machine travels. The paper is held in intimate engagementwith the platen by means of yielding guide fingers 1 provided with openings through which pressure rolls 2 extend, long pressure and feed rolls 3 and 4 arranged underneath the platen and extend ing approximately the. entire length thereof, and a yielding guide plate 5 conforming to the shape of the platen. Means are provided for throwing the guide fingers and plate and and the pressure rolls just referred to out of engagement with the platen so as to re-- lease the original and copy-sheet, and I will hereinafter describe fully said means and also the particular construction of the guide plates and pressure rolls. As previously stated, the copy-sheet is-longer than the billhead or original, preferably of great enough length to receive the carbon'impressions of five or six bills, and I also-prefer to use a carbon sheet of the same length the copy-sheet.

In Figs. 2 to 5 I have illustrated in detail the construction of the mechanismwhich I employ for moving the copy-sheet rear-' wardly over the platen so as to bring the portion thereof that. contams the carbon unpression of the prevlous bill, into position so that it. will be underneath the printed:

headingof the next bill-head which is placed in the machine. Said mechanism comprises a rock shaft 6 provided with forwardly projecting arms 7 connected at their outer ends by a rod or member 8 and having a clamping plate 9 pivotally connected thereto, said clamping plate being providedat its ends with trunnions 10 which are journaled in openings in the arms 7. The copy-sheet G, together with the sheet of carbon, is first inserted between the clamping plate 9 and the rod or member 8 which cooperates therewith, the end of the copy-sheet being fed down underneath the platen. After the copy-sheetand carbon have been placed in posltlon, asshown 111 Fig. 2, the or1ginal or bill-head D is fed underneath the platen and the operator then proceeds to actuate the type keys to print-the items'oft-he hill on the bilhhead. The machine, of course, is

' provided with a. line-spacing mechanism, so

that the original, carbon and copy-sheet will be fed upwardly over the platen duringthe operation of making out the bill. After the bill has been completed the operator act-uates mechanism which causes the clamp-' ing plate 9 to securely clamp the copy C and sheetof carbon between said plate and the coiiperating member or bar 8, and then operates the means that-moves the guide'plates and pressure rolls away from the'platen-so that the bill-head or original D can be removed. The clamping plate 9 and its cooperating member 8 extends the entirelength of the platen so that the copy-sheet and carbon will be clamped across their entire width, thereby making it impossible for the copy to shift or move out of vertical alinement as would he apt to occur if it were clamped only at one edge. The means for actuating this clamping plate 9 consists ofcam levers 11 pivotally connected to the arms 7 and bearing against the rear sideof the clamping plate so as to force the lower edge of same toward the bar or member 8 when the cam levers are moved rear-waroly in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3. Only one cam lever 11 is necessary for actuating the clamping plate but I prefer to provide .a lever at each end of the carriage so that the operator can use either hand for actuating the clamping plate. After the copy has been clamped and the bill-head or original I) has been removed the parts just described will, occupy the positions shown in same. it

Fig. 3. The operator then grasps one of the cam levers 11 and pushes the same rearwardly'and upwardly and thus rocks the shaft (3 to which thc.arms 7 are connected. thls'inovcmcnt of the arms 7 which carry back to normal position. as shown in Fig and inserts the next bill-head n the machine. l'hc hillhcad is thcntcd into printing position by rotating the platen, the rotary movement of the platen also feeding:

the copy-sheet and carbon forwardly until allthe slack in same. shown in Fig. 5, has been taken up. The operator then releases the clamping plate so that the copyshect and carbon can, teed forwardly with the bill-head as the operator proceeds to print the items ofi the bill. It will thus be seen that theportiou of the copy-sheet that contains the carbon impression of the previous bill thatwas made out will be 10 atcd underneath the printed heading of the second bill-head so that the carbon impression of the second bill will be arrz'inged close to the carbon in'u'iression of the first bill on the copy-Sheet.

In order that the operator may move the copy-sheet and carbon rearwardly over the platen a distance equal to the depth of the printing at the top of the bill-heads I have provided a stop 12 for engaging one of'the arms 7 and limiting its rearward moven'ient. This stop 12 is adjustable so that the distance which the. copy-sheet and 'carbon arc. moved rearwardlv can be .varied to cm'respond with the depth .of the printing on the top of the bill-heads which are used. The. stop '12 preferably consists of a spring-actuated pin or plunger that ismounted in a sleeve 13 on an arm 14 which 1s journaled on the rock shaft 6. the pin 12 being adapted to project through one of the openings 15 in a plate 16 secured to the carriage. The mechanism just described for moving the copy-sheet and carbon rearwardly comprises very few parts and is of quickly and easily by the operator. and as the copy-sheet is clamped across its entire width there is no possibility of it getting on of vertical alinemcnt.

.sim'plc construction. it can be operated ll'hile l have herein stated that the carhon sheet is clamped with the copy-sheetaml is moved rearwardly over the platen with will. of .coursc, be understood that a carbon sheet of the same length as the bill-head could he used. in which easel the carbon would not he clamped between 1 the members 8 and 5) but would be inserted with each bill-head.

Having thus described my invention, what l clann as new and desire to secure by Letrers Patent 1s:

sheet, and means independent of the platen the clamping members 8 and 9, causing the i for moving the copy sheetrearwardly a pre- 3 -l v noakwoankmw for moving the copy sheet rearwardly an adpistable distance independently of the original. sheet.

In a typewriting machine, a platen for supporting a copy sheet. a transfer sheet. and an original which has only a portion of its space available to receive printing impressions, means for feeding all of said sheets in one direction for thesame distance. and means independent of the platen for retracting the copy sheet or moving it in the reverse direction after the original has been completed so as to compensate for the unavailable prin ting space on the original. the means last referred to being so designed that it can move the copy sheet in only one direction; substantially as described.

4. In a' typewritingmachine, a platen. means for feeding an original and a copy sheet, and means in the form of a reciprocating frame for moving the copy sheet rearwardly a predetermined distance independently of the original sheet.

In a typewritingmachine. .a platen, means for feeding an original sheet and a copy' sheet, a pivoted frame for moving th'e copy sheet rearwardly a predetermined distance independently of the original sheet. and means for regulating the distance of movement of said pivoted frame.

6. In a typewriting machine. a platen. meansfor feeding an original and a duplicate over the platen. means independent of the platenfor clamping said duplicate. and means for bodily moving said clann'iing means to draw the duplicate rearwardlv over the platen in the reverse direction to that in Which it is fed during the operation of writing on the original so as to position a portion of the duplicate that contains impressions under the upper portion of the-next original that is placed in the machine: sub stantially as described.

7. In a typewri'ting machine, a platen. means for feeding an original and a copy sheet forwardly over the platen during the operation of writing on the original. means for clamping said copy sheet, and means under control of the operator for bodily moving said clamping means to draw the copy sheet rearwardly over the platen in the reverse direction to that in which it is fed during the operation of writing on same so .as to render every portion of the copy sheetavailable for-receiving printing impressions; substantially as described.

8. In a typewrit-ing machine. a platen adapted to form a support for a bill-head and a copy sheet-that are fed forwardly over the platen during the operation of making,

out the bill, means arranged at the rear of the platen for clamping said copy sheet, and means for bodilv shifting said clamping means to draw the copy sheet rearwardly over the platen in the reverse direction to that in which it is fed during the operation of making out the bill so as to bring that portion of the copy-sheet which contains the impression of the printing on the lastbill underneath the heading of the nextbill that is inserted in the machine;substantially as described.

0. In a ty 'iewriting machine, a platen adapted to form a support for an original and a copy sheet. a pair of members extending the entire width of said copy sheet and adapted to clamp the copy sheet between them. and means for bodily shifting said clamping members relatively to the platen to draw the copy sheet rearwardly "'over the platen in the reverse direction to that in which it is fed during the operation of writing on the original so as to arrange a portion of the copy sheet that contains printing underneath the top portion of the next Original that is introduced into the' machine; substantially as described.

l0.-In a typewriting machine, a platen over which an original and a copy sheet are f d forwardly during the operation of writing on the original, a member and a cooperating manually operated clamping member between which said copy sheet is arranged,

and means for bodily shifting both of said.

platen a less, distance than it was fed for- \vardly; substantially as described. 11'. In a typewriting machine, a platen adapted to form a support for an original and a copy or duplicate sheet of greater length than the original, members extending parallel to the. platen and having said copy sheet arranged between them. means for causing said members to clamp the copy sheet after the original has been removed from the machine. and means for shifting both of said members relatively tothe platen to draw the copy sheet rearwardly over the platen in the reverse direction to that in which it is fed during the operation of writing on the original so asto render every portion of the copy sheet available to recei e printing impressions: substantially as described.

12. In a typewriting machine. a platen adapted to form a support for an original and a copy sheet, members between which said copy sheet passes. means for causing said members to clamp the copy sheet, and movable arms which any both of said members whereby said members may be shifted relatively to the platen to draw the copy sheet rearwardly over the platen and thus bring a printed portion thereof adjacent the upper edge of the next original that is placed in the machine; substantially as described. I

. 1.3. In a typewriting machine, a platen 5 adapted to form a support for an originaland a copy sheet arranged underneath the original and of greater length than same, a pair of mem ers located at-t-he rear of the platen and extending parallelthereto,the copy sheet. being arranged bet-ween said members, means for causing said members to clamp the copy sheet, and swinging'arms to which said members'are connected, said arms being adapted to be moved after the original has been taken out of the machine so as to draw thecopy sheet rearwardly over the platen in the reverse direction to that in which the original is fed during the operation of print ing onsame and for a less distance than it was fed forwardly with the original; substantially as described.

14. In a typewrit ing machine, a platen adapted to form a support for a sheet of ia er a swm in arm located ad'acen't.

' each end of the platen and at the rear thereof, a member extending parallel to the platen and connected to the outer ends of said arms, a pivotally. mounted clamping plate carried by said arms and cooperating. with said member to clamp the sheet of paper, and acam lever for forcing said clamp plate toward the-member which cooperates therewith; snb'stantially' as described.

15. In a typeivriting machine. a platen adapted to form a support for a sheet of paper means for clamping said sheet. movable devices carrying said elan'iping means. and a stop for determining the limit of movement of said devices; substantially as described.

16. In a typewriting machine, a platen adapted to form a support for a sheet of paper, clamping members between which said sheet passes. movable devices which carry said clam ing members and which are adapted to be actuated to move the sheet relatively to the. platen. and an adjustable stop for determiningthe limit of movement of said devices: substantially as described.

17. A typewriting machine provided with acarriage, a platen mounted on said carriage and adapted to form a support. for a sheet of paper, swinging arms secured to the carriage ad acent the ends of the platen. clamping members carried by said arms and having the sheet of paper arranged between them, and an adjustable stop located adjacent one of said arms for controlling its limit of movement; substantially as de scribed.

In testimony whereof I hereunto 'affix my signature in-the presence of two witnesses, this second day of August 1 907.

' VILLIAM W. HOPKINS.- WVitnesses:

\VELLs L. CHURCH,

GEORGE BAKEWELL. 

